NEW YORK -- Yankees manager Aaron Boone said he does not expect to have Aaron Judge available for the wild-card series next week, though he did not completely rule out the star right fielder recovering from his calf strain in time to play.
"We're planning on him not being a part of that," Boone said Tuesday before the Yankees hosted the Tampa Bay Rays for a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium.
Judge was placed on the injured list with a right calf strain Friday, two days after exiting a game against the Minnesota Twins. Judge and the team declined to specify the severity of the injury through the weekend. On Tuesday, Boone labeled it a "moderate grade" strain. He said Judge received a platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injection Monday.
Judge sustained the injury in his seventh game back after missing more than three months with a fractured rib. The three-time MVP returned without going on a rehab assignment and went 4-of-23 with 13 strikeouts, one walk and one home run in 24 plate appearances.
The Rays entered Tuesday's doubleheader with a magic number of one to clinch the American League East title with seven games remaining. Barring a Rays collapse, the Yankees will host the Boston Red Sox in a wild-card series for the second consecutive year.